In a collaborative software environment, change management refers to the process of tracking changed artifacts such as messages, files, and tasks. The “change status” of each artifact is tracked as it transitions through the following states: new, read and unread. Efficient change management is important for reducing information overload on users in collaborative software environments because it flags for the user those artifacts that are new or have been modified since the last time the user accessed them. In this manner, the user is able to identify and focus on those artifacts that convey new information.
Typically, as new types of artifacts are added to a collaborative software environment, a change management system tailored to the particular properties of the new artifact type is developed in an ad hoc manner. Having independently implemented and operating change management algorithms results in relatively high implementation and maintenance costs.